MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Whitworth College's Samantha Kephart shattered her own NCAA Division III record tonight while winning the 200-yard Butterfly on the final night of competition at the NCAA Division III Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

Samantha Kephart

Kephart (So., Santa Maria, Calif. - St. Joseph HS) won the evening final with a time of 2:00.15, breaking her previous NCAA, NWC and Whitworth record of 2:01.45, which she established at the Northwest Conference Championships last month. Kephart won easily over defending champion Marika Ross of Middlebury College, who finished second with a time of 2:05.45.

Brittany Gresset (Fr., Seattle, Wash. - Mt. Rainier HS) finished 28th in the preliminary heats of the 100-yard Freestyle on Saturday morning and did not advance to the evening finals.

By winning two events and scoring highly in another over the three day meet, Kephart scored 51 points by herself to give the Pirates a 22nd place finish in the championships. There were 51 different teams and scored in the meet. Emory University edged Kenyon College for its second consecutive team championship in women's swimming.

Kephart's time in the 200 Butterfly qualifies her to compete at both of this year's USS national championship meets. The short course nationals will begin March 28th at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington, while the long course meet will be in Irvine, California and begin August 1st.